To expect the police to do their job properly

[DrivingMum]

I was involved in a car crash last week. I called 999 and two police officers arrived. They literally checked each car registration plate was insured and left. They did not check if either of us had a licence or were insured to drive either car. It now turns out this lady borrowed the car and was not insured and doesn't have a licence. If the police had checked at the time she could have been charged there and then. Now it looks like I will be liable for the claim even though it was the other woman that caused the crash.

Er,how exactly didn't they do their job?
Insurance problem would still exist no matter what police did it didn't do

Were either of you injured?

They should have checked that we were legally able to drive the cars. The other driver has committed two offences driving with no licence and no insurance.

Yes my passenger was injured.

I thought it was police procedure to check each drivers license as well. This is based on the one time I had a tiny bump though and nothing more solid than that.

If you were driven into by an uninsured driver, I think you would have to pay anyway for your own repairs - small comfort that it is - but I would be kicking up hell about paying for theirs,

How do you know what they checked and what they didn't? Did they tell you? Sorry to hear your passenger was injured - was it bad?

Sorry OP, I don't think police action would have changed the insurance situation

My insurance are going to try to claim off the owner of the car who gave her permission to drive but they are not hopeful of them paying up.

I heard them radio in the car registration numbers and the reply was yes insured for both cars. They were literally stood in front of me.

It wouldn't have changed the insurance situation I agree but the other driver would have been prosecuted. I saw her driving the car again this week.

My Mum was my passenger she has a spinal injury but is on the mend.

She should surely still be prosecuted?

Have you told police you saw her driving the car again? I do hope your mum is ok, spinal injury sounds serious?

The details had the time must have said it was insured then surely? Maybe some details were incorrect at the time, but can now be checked?

I see what your getting at mum the other driver was committing an offence while driving and although it would not have changed your insurance situation, if the police had checked properly they would have been able to arrest and charge her. Not to say they still can't though!!

I was told by the lady at the police station it would be looked into but they can't say if she gave me false details or her real ones. If they had checked at the time it would have taken seconds and would have meant she was stopped from driving immediately.

Did they not give you a producer? They can't check licences there and then

Yes I have told them when and where I saw her driving.

No the police gave us nothing. They were at the accident scene for approximately two minutes and left. They told us to exchange details. They didn't even ask our names.

I'm not 100% Olympia, but insurance/mot/tax details have been held on the PNC for some time, so they should have been able to check there and then. There may still be a legal requirement for a producer (which is irrelvevant, since OP knows the driver was uninsured). The police would have checked just the car at the time, I guess.

But you say it was checked at the time and they found that the details = insured.

When I had my car hit, the police checked the details there and then. But had someone given the wrong details at the time, it would have brought up false information. Unless the police had reason to believe they were lying, they wouldn't know this.

Sounds like it's the nature of the crash then OP. What actually happened?

My Mum has been in hospital for a few days and is now on morphine for the pain. I am so angry how this woman is still driving around after the trouble she has caused and how she seems to be getting away scott free.

YANBU. They arrest people for driving without insurance on borrowed cars on Road Wars and suchlike. I am an expert, me!

The other driver was in the right hand lane of a dual carriageway and decided she wanted to make a left turn and did just that without slowing down or indicating I ran straight into her. She tried to blame me at the scene of the accident. The police didn't even separate us to get our stories.

If she gave false details at the site of your crash she committed an offence. If she is still driving it is likely that she is still doing so. I suggest that you go to the police station and report her continued driving, stating that you are prepared to identify her as the person with whom you had a collision on x date when she appeared to be insured, but wasn't. If the police are not prepared to act on your information, then file a complaint against the two officers who attended your accident. If the officers checked the plate at the scene and followed procedure with regard to establishing the identity of the other driver, then the only way they would have considered her to be insured is if she provided false details, and even then these should have been checked roadside. If I were in your position I would not be prepared to let it go, either.

Ok, Driving, I see why you are so upset. This seems extremely unfair.

This seems normal procedure, cars were insured. She possibly gave them a false name. If passenger was injured enough for an ambulance, it would have been different. I am also surprised you insurance company told you she had no license.